Hollow fireproof wall construction



W. Z. AYERS ET AL HOLLOW FIREPROOF WALL CONSTRUCTION Aug. 18, I 925.

Filed "am 24.

a 2 .V M m n mlo E cm A vm m r mwwm Patented Aug. 18, W25.

UNITE. sra'ras PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN z. AYERS, MAuRIcR E. THORNTON, AND WILLIAM T, I-I. AXERS, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

HOLLOW FIREPROOF WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed March 24, 1924. Serial No. 701,346.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, l/VARREN Z. Arnns, lilnunicn E. THORNTON, and WILLIAM T. H. AYERs, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Hollow Fireproof Wall Construction, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists in a novel wall construction comprising two sets of relatively thin slabs laid up on edge in courses with studs intervening between the two sets of slabs and being poured in place of concrete such that the pouring of the studs results in a unit wall with the slabs keyed and united to the studs. The primary object of the invention consists in providing a hollow wall construction built up of light, standardized slabs, such that the wall may be erected so as to eliminate the usual wooden forms required for the entire enclosure of the wall as a mold, and so eliminate their high cost of production in labor, material, and time. The time element in construction work is most important and with the use of our construction, a wall may be erected to completion far quicker than the time consumed in building a form otherwise necessary for a corresponding wall.

Further objects lie in the provision of side slabs of such proportions as to permit of the breaking of joints or bonds of one set of slabs as compared to the other set on the opposite side of the wall, thereby reinforcing and stillening the wall longitudinally; a versatile and flexible construction permitting any width of wall by merely us ing different width stud molds, and easily cut and adapted to openings and corners; and simple shaped slabs that may be molded on the job and set up in the wall without waiting for a long curing period, such slabs havingtheir edges so formed as to permit easy removal of the slab mold form and to give retaining edges for the slabs when set in position in the wall as well as to form a means of securing a key or clinch of concrete. I

We accomplish these and such other objects as may become apparent in the following description by the means as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a fragment of a wall of our construction showing the studs in various stages of formation; F ig. 2, a side elevation of an outer face of a standard wall slab; Fig. 3, a similar wall slab, showing a possible variation by pro viding notches for additional keying; Fig. 4-, a vertical section through the slab on the line 4L-4 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7, perspective views of ties, showing modified ends, employed in holding the slabs.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the various figures.

The unit of construction is the slab 5 formed of concrete in a suitable mold, though it may be made of tile or similar material, and for the purpose of forming a base to which trim may be secured, cinder concrete may be employed as there is no building load taken by the slabs. The slab 5 is relatively thin as shown in Fig. d, and has the top edge bevelled to bring the sharp edge at the outer face a, and the lower edge bevelled to form the sharp edge at the inner face I). The two ends are bevelled from the inner face 6 to the outer face a such that when the slabs are butted together a V is formed between.

The slabs 5, Fig. 1, are laid on edge in courses to break joint as in laying brick, to form an inner wall 6 and an outer wall 7 such that an air space lies between. As the two walls are laid the courses are kept at the same level, the lower bevel edge of the slab above fitting on the top bevel edge of the slab below, such that the lower edge of the upper slab can not kick or slip outwardly. To prevent the top edges of the slabs from pushing outwardly and to maintain the two walls in alignment, we use ties 8, 9, or 10 (any one being equally suitable, but here shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 to illustrate the variety of ties in suitable form) across the top edges of the slabs. Small notches are chipped out of the slab to permit the placing of the ties down out of the way of the above slab edge. Particular emphasis is desired to be placed on the fact that the center of one slab 5 in one wall lies across from the abutting ends of two slabs 5 in the opposite wall in the same horizontal course level such that the joints are staggered in the opposite walls for the purpose of stiffening the wall as a unit.

Forms 11 and 12, being similar but reversed in position, are set up vertically between the two sets of walls as the slabs are laid up to form a mold for the studs 13. Three studs are preferably formed to each length of slab as we now use such that there will be a stud on each vertical line of abutting slab edges, but this proportion of studs to slabs may vary to suit building requirements. Vertical reinforcing bars 14 are employed in the studs 13 as in the usual column construction and in addition, the ties 8 are placed between the forms 11 and 12 for further reinforcing of the stud as well as a means of tieing in the slabs 5. Concrete of the proper consistency is poured into the mold between the forms 11 and 12, such that the stud 13 is formed as an in tegral part of the completed wall by the concrete knitting to the inner sides of the slabs 5 and by running through the slight openings left between abutting edges of the slabs to form the keys or clinches 15, best shown in Fig. 1, in the right hand stud 13 here shown as not completely poured to the top of the wall. The left hand stud 13 in the same figure shows a completed stud, while in the center of the same figure, the stud 13 has not been poured.

The key 15 is at first rough as the key formed when plaster is forced through lath, but may later be filled in or smoothed off as desired. The slabs 5 are set up without mortar between any of the edges and are permanently retained in position by knitting to the studs 18 and the keys between the abutting edges, and somewhat by the ties 8, though these ties are primarily temporary means of holding the slabs until the studs 13 are poured and cured.

lVhen desired, the slab as shown in Fig. 3, with the lower edge supplied with stud notches 16 and 17, may be employed to give a larger key over the studs by reason of the increased openings presented on account of the end notches l6 and center notch 17 in the lower edge out on a bevel to give a retaining edge for the key. It will be noted that this type of slab permits a key in the center of the slab where it contacts the stud 13 as well as on the ends of the slab.

Plaster or stucco may be applied directly to the face of the wall of slabs for a finish. The slabs being made of concrete or the like, fit together roughly on their edges so as to leave small interstices which form means of keying the finish plaster or stucco to the wall.

Having fully described our invention in the form now best known to us, we desire to set out that the construction and its units may be varied without departing from the spirit of the lnvention, and we therefore do not desire to be limited to the precise form as shown, nor any more than may be required by the following claims.

e claim:

1. A hollow fireproof wall comprising an inner and an outer member each formed of slabs laid in horizontal courses, the slabs of each course being separated by open vertical joints having outwardly diverging edges forming vertical dovetail spaces between the slabs, and concrete studs at each of said joints spacing apart said inner and outer wall members and having integral dovetail flanges entering the corresponding joints between the slabs.

2. A hollow fireproof wall comprising an inner and an outer member each formed of slabs laid in horizontal courses, the slabs of each cours having their vertical oints staggered both with respect to the course below in the same member and the course opposite in the other wall member, the said joints being open and having outwardly diverging edges forming vertical dovetail spaces between the slabs, and concrete studs at each of said joints spacing apart said inner and outer wall members and having integral dovetail flanges entering the corresponding joints between the slabs.

3. A hollow fireproof wall comprising an inner and an outer member each formed of slabs laid in horizontal courses, the slabs of each course being separated by open vertical joints having outwardly diverging edges forming vertical dovetail spaces between the slabs, and vertical concrete studs at each of said joints spacing apart said inner and said outer wall members and having integral dovetail flanges entering the corresponding joints between the slabs, said dovetail flanges being alternately spaced apart by smooth faces on the stud contacting the faces of the slabs in the alternating courses in which there is no vertical joint at the stud.

t. A hollow fireproof wall comprising an inner and an outer member each formed of slabs laid in horizontal courses, the slabs of each course being separated by open vertical joints having outwardly diverging edges forming vertical dovetail spaces between the slabs, concrete studs at each of said joints spacing apart said inner and outer wall members and having integral flanges entering the corresponding joints between the slabs, and wire ties extending between and engaging the outer faces of each of said inner and outer wall members through the horizontal joints of said slabs.

A hollow fireproof wall comprising an inner and an outer member each formed of slabs laid in horizontal courses, the slabs of each course being separated by open vertical joints having outwardly diverging edges forming vertical dovetail spaces between the dovetail slabs, the lower edges of each of said slabs being bevelled at an acute angle with the inner face to rest on the upper edge of the under slab, the upper edge being bevelled at an obtuse angle with the inner face, and concrete studs at each of said joints spacing apart said inner and outer wall members and having integral dovetail. flanges entering the corresponding joints between the slabs,

6. A hollow fireproof wall comprising an inner and an outer member each formed of slabs laid in horizontal courses, the slabs of each course being separated by open vertical oints having outwardly diverging edges forming vertical dovetail spaces between th slabs, and concrete studs at each of said joints spacing apart said inner and outer wall members and having integral dovetail flanges entering the corresponding joints, said slabs having a section removed at each stud to receiv an enlarged flange projecting from the stud.

Signed at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, this 19th day of March, 192%.

lVARREN Z. AYERS. MAURICE E. THORNTON. WILLIAM T. H. AYERS. 

